Today, the Liberal Government tabled the Local Government Amendment (Mayoral Candidate Eligibility) Bill 2014 in the House of Assembly.
Currently, a person is only eligible to nominate for mayor or deputy mayor if they've been a councillor for at least 12 months.
This Bill removes that eligibility requirement. If you're eligible to be a councillor, you'll be eligible to stand for mayor or deputy mayor.
This amendment is especially important before the upcoming Local Government elections. This year, Local Government elections move to four-year, all-in, all-out terms, while mayors and deputy mayors will be voted in for four-year terms rather the previous two year terms.
Given the move to four year terms for councillors, without these changes it would effectively mean that a person would need to serve a full four-year term as a councillor before being eligible to nominate for mayor or deputy mayor.
These positions are crucial to local communities and Tasmanians should be able to decide who their leaders are without being hampered by unnecessary and undemocratic rules.
Local Government supported this bill at the Local Government Association of Tasmania conference.
The Liberal Government is laying the foundations for the future and this bill is an important step toward greater democracy and choice for all Tasmanians.
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